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Golden State Warriors' Kevin Durant (35) and Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) sit on the bench during their game against the Miami Heat in the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. on Monday, Nov. 6, 2017. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors are in high spirits during a 3rd quarter rally against the Philadelphia 76ers at Oracle Arena on November 11, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

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Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) and Klay Thompson (11) in action against the Chicago Bulls in the first half of an NBA game at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 24, 2017. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

Golden State Warriors' Kevin Durant (35) blocks a shot by Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James (23) in the final minute of the fourth quarter of their NBA game at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Dec. 25, 2017. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) flexes his muscles after he scored and drew a foul against the Chicago Bulls in the first half of an NBA game at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 24, 2017. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) dives to save a ball from going out of bounds while playing against the Memphis Grizzlies during the third quarter of their NBA game at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017. Golden State defeats Memphis 141-128. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Golden State Warriors' Kevin Durant (35) follows his basket as he makes his 20,000 career points in the first half of an NBA game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) drives to the hoop against Chicago Bulls' Paul Zipser (16) and Robin Lopez (42) in the first half of an NBA game at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 24, 2017. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

Stephen Curry (30) of the Golden State Warriors drives against Robert Covington (33) of the Philadelphia 76ers in the 3rd quarter at Oracle Arena on November 11, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) shoots a layup past Denver Nuggets' Gary Harris (14) in the first quarter of their NBA game at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 8, 2018. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) celebrates a three-point basket shot by his teammate Golden State Warriors' Kevin Durant (35) during the third quarter of their NBA game at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017. Golden State defeats Memphis 141-128. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Golden State Warriors' Kevin Durant (35) lays up a shot and scores on his attempt to beat the buzzer and the Houston Rockets in the fourth quarter of their season opener at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017.The referees reviewed the play and it was ruled out. Rockets won 122-121. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

Golden State Warriors' Kevin Durant (35) goes for the block against Donovan Mitchell (45) and gets called for a foul in the second period of their NBA game at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)

Houston Rockets' James Harden (13) dribbles against Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) in the second half of their season opener at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

Houston Rockets' James Harden (13) dribbles against Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) in the second half of their season opener at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) goes up for a lay up against New Orleans Pelicans' Anthony Davis (23) during the first quarter of their NBA game at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green (23) guards New Orleans Pelicans' Anthony Davis (23) during the second quarter of their NBA game at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Golden State Warriors' Kevin Durant (35) is congratulated by Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James (23) after the Warriors beat the Cavaliers 99-92 in their NBA game at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Dec. 25, 2017. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James (23) is guarded by Golden State Warriors' Andre Iguodala (9) in the fourth quarter of their NBA game at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Dec. 25, 2017. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo reacts after a 24-second violation during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

CHICAGO – It never became a question of if Warriors guard Stephen Curry would start in the 2018 NBA All-Star game.

Instead, it became a question of who Curry would select on his team. So once he was named captain on Thursday after collecting the most fan votes among Western Conference guards (2,379,494), Curry will have to figure out how he will assemble his roster.

Curry said on Thursday evening that component “will dominate my mind” once the NBA announces its reserves as voted by the league’s coaches on Tuesday. Until then? Lots of it hinges on what LeBron James does, since he has the first pick after collecting the most fan votes in the NBA (2,638,294). Then, Curry said he and James and the All-Star candidates will connect through a conference call to complete the process. The NBA will announce the teams next Thursday for the 2018 NBA All-Star game on Feb. 18 in Los Angeles.

“I don’t know who LeBron will take with the first pick,” said Curry, who will play in his fifth All-Star game, all as a starter. “So depending on how that goes, I might have to go pick all guards and pick the shortest team possible. Who knows how it will play out.”
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Curry spoke in a joking manner when he said those words. Curry spoke in a more serious tone on if he will select Warriors forward Kevin Durant, who was also voted as a starter after receiving the most fan votes among Western Conference frontcourt players (2,238,406) in what will mark his ninth NBA All-Star appearance. Durant has averaged 26.2 points while remaining efficient with his shooting (51.1 percent from the field; 40.4 percent from 3-point range) and his versatility (6.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists).

“I’m pretty sure he would be a pretty solid pick if you had the first pick,” Curry said. “If LeBron doesn’t take him, I probably will for sure.”

Curry also said he hopes he receives his wish to pick Milwaukee Bucks center Giannis Antetokounmpo, who will make his second consecutive All-Star appearance after being named a starter.

“He dunked on me last year,” Curry said. “So maybe I have to get him on my team so that doesn’t happen again.”

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Curry sounded just as definitive on whether Warriors forward Draymond Green and Klay Thompson will be voted in as reserves among the NBA coaches.

“For sure, I put my money on that one,” Curry said. “They’ve deserved it in years past and our body of work as a team and what we’ve all done together has only gotten better. They should get it right.”

Thompson has averaged 20.9 points, while remaining prolific from the field (48.9 percent) and from 3-point range (45.4 percent). Green has fought inconsistency with his scoring, averaging 11.1 points on 45.4 percent shooting and only 30.5 percent from 3-point range. But Green has offset that with 7.6 assists and 7.9 rebounds per game. So even if Green received the second-most fan votes among Western Conference front-court players (1,135,478), he did not receive as much support from media and players.

“That’s the one that was disappointing, for sure,” Curry said.

Yet, it did not sound like Curry would feel dissuaded to bypass his teammates.

“Draymond and Klay will be on the team when that takes shape,” Curry said. “If I got them on deck and I can pick them, that’s what it’s about.”

As part of a new format to add spice to the NBA All-Star game, Curry and James will choose from the pool of players regardless of conference affiliation. Yet, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has declined to televise the event, if it would add intrigue to the drama surrounding the selection process. Curry supported that stance, mindful that a televised event could manufacture a soap opera and create dissent among players that were selected last.

“Being an All-Star is glorified. That’s what it’s supposed to be about,” said Curry, who has averaged 27.7 points while shooting 49.5 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from 3-point range as well as 6.5 assists and 5.3 rebounds. “It’s about the fans and players and why it’s been such a big deal. You don’t wan to change the integrity of what it means to be an All-Star.”

“Since it’s not televised, probably a phone call and have everybody on the line and go down three through 24 and do the picks that way,” Curry said. “It’ll be interesting to see. Probably around after the starters are picked, I’ll have to pick certain positions and skillsets, whatever the case is, to round out a solid team. Or I can go crazy with it and just come up with something funny. If I can pick 12 guards, I’ll see how that goes.”

All of which likely leads to a busy schedule for Curry. Have teammates and opponents already started to lobby Curry to pick them?

“Nah. Not yet,” Curry said. “That might happen next week once the full teams are announced. But not yet.”